Tag Archives: Hillsong

For all those who care about the Church, the Bride of Christ, and believe Mark Driscoll should truly acknowledge and repent before he is given another platform, please consider writing Pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston of Hillsong Church with your concerns and signing the petition. It might be easier to ignore this and not care, it’s all been so disheartening, but what does love demand? The most loving gracious acts call us to acknowledge ourselves, our weakness and our great need for the love and forgiveness of the Savior – and this includes owning our wrongdoing toward others and working to make things right. — Jonna Petry

A campaign aiming to persuade Hillsong to rescind its decision to have the disgraced former pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle at its Europe conference has been launched with anonline petition.

Mark Driscoll resigned from the church he founded last year, following a string of revelations about his leadership style, which was said to be bullying and coercive. The church, which had grown to be one of the largest congregations in the US, folded at the end of last year, with its different campuses either closing, merging or becoming independent. It is facing a possible racketeering lawsuit arising from allegations that it misused funds given for church-planting work.

Hillsong’s invitation to Driscoll to take part in its conference at London’s O2 Arena (July 22-24) pre-dated his resignation from Mars Hill, and he will be interviewed by Hillsong founder Brian Houston rather than delivering a platform speech.

However, the petition says that allowing the invitation to stand is “both disappointing and of great concern to many across the UK and internationally”…

…While it says that people can be restored and forgiven, the petition says that Driscoll has not repented of the damage he has done to many former Mars Hill members and leaders. “It has been only six months since Mark Driscoll resigned and to give him such a platform as the O2 arena does not represent the Gospel of repentance and forgiveness, but that of cheap grace,” it says. Hillsong is “both endorsing and legitimising Mark’s messages about women and ignoring the concerns being repeated by many across the US and UK about his abusive behaviour, which has been corroborated by ex-members and ex-leaders of Mars Hill Church”.